Miss Jenn has found five sensational golfing products that are sure to inspire plenty of birdies or better. These promotional items are the perfect marketing solution for:

Golf Tournaments
Golf Pro Shops
Tradeshow Give-aways
Conference Momentos
Customer Appreciation
Corporate Retreats & Meetings

PACKAGED TALL TEES
This pack includes ten 2 3/4″ tees pre-packaged. Pricing includes 1-color imprint on the tees
Tee colors = white, black, blue, green, orange, red, yellow

Qty = 250 packs
Price = $0.95 each
Set-up = $45

Qty = 1000 packs
Price = $0.75 each
Set-up = $45

Special expires 6/25/10

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA DIABLO GOLF BALLS
New, softer cover and HEX aerodynamics provide longer, more penetrating ball flight for added distance. Priced per dozen. Pricing includes 1- to 2-color imprint on 1 location.

Qty = 6 packages
Price = $39.00 each
Set-up = $45

Qty = 24 packages
Price = $35.00 each
Set-up = $45

Special expires 6/25/10

HEMMED WHITE GOLF TOWEL
100% cotton velour hemmed towel with brass grommet and hook. “Soft-hand” silk screened impring
Size = 15 x 18″
Pricing includes 1-color imprint in 1 location

Qty = 125 towels
Price = $2.28 each
Set-up = $45

Qty = 250 towels
Price = $2.10 each
Set-up = $45

Special expires 6/25/10

GOLF ACCESSORY KIT
We love this item! And your minimum quantity is only 100!
2 3/4 x 2 5/8″ kit includes 1 divot fixer, permanent ball marking pen, 2 plastic ball markers and 4 tees. Fits easily into pocket or golf bag.
Box colors = clear or translucent blue
Marker colors = black, blue, red or green
Pricing includes 1-color imprint on box

Qty = 100 kits
Price = $1.84 each
Set-up = $45

Special expires 7/25/10

ECO-FRIENDLY GOLF BALLS
A green to the core, environmentally friendly ball made of eco-friendly material.
100% recyclable and made from renewable material.
Packaging is also eco-friendly, so it’s a responsible product all around!
Priced per dozen.
Pricing includes 1-color imprint on 1 location.

Qty = 6 packages
Price = $23.50 each
Set-up = $50

Special expires 12/25/10

HOWEVER, I’m not one to shortchange the fun that might be available through reading the virtual world we live in. (And if anyone wants to send me an iPad so I can test that fun quotient, feel free to get UPS right on it.) SO, this weekend I found some reading inspiration from an unusual source. Drumroll… Facebook. It’s true. Several weeks ago, through some networking sequence of friend-of-a-friend or fan-of-a-fan or Facebook’s handy suggestions, I found myself among the fans of the GREEN by DESIGN page. Since then, I’ve been noticing their posts in my feed and the great photos and links to their blog. This weekend, I decided to check it out more closely, and wowza!

The San Francisco-based Green by Design blog centers on the the world of fashion and design and offers a glimpse at innovative, high-quality products, designs, companies and stores that are “green” minded and “green” committed. Highlighting eco-fashion trends, sustainable products and ideas for recycling, the blog is a wealth of inspiration and sustainable bliss.

According to the website, these guys see themselves as…

A trusted source of green ideas, Green by Design provides an environment in which people can learn, be entertained, and be inspired. We look at the core of being green: To not just conserving more, but consuming less.

While we certainly know that we can’t shop our way to a sustainable planet, but if we combine educated choices with consistent action, we’re on our way to making a real difference in the state of our planet.

I hear ya! AND, I’m reading you. I’m loving your featured products and labels. I’m inspired by your mission. Just take a look at some of the features I browsed this weekend. What’s not to love? Seriously.

Find these in Green by Design blog posts about:

Bags made from coffee burlap by the Wren

Conifer, a San Francisco boutique meeting the green standard

CLOTH, a new accessories label supporting displaced women

We’ve been thinking about new things a lot lately as we’ve been evaluating what’s in store for the quack! blog. We have some exciting new themes to share with you in the next few days and some well-designed posts in the future. All this exploration of blog writing had us thinking about writing in general–and about “green” writing in particular.

Miss Jenn, our resident promotional guru, shared with me two great utensils for “green” writing. These eco-friendly pens are made with post-consumer recycled paper. They are an ideal choice for your promotional message, and they show your commitment to conserving natural resources as well. Well-designed responsibility! We like it!

SPECIAL PRICING NOW!

Dual Function Eco-Friendly Pen/Highlighter
A recycled paper barrel with wooden clip houses a chisel tip highlighter and pen with fade resistant ink.
Colors available: Natural paper barrel with green, red, orange, blue or black trim.
(yellow highlighter)
Pricing includes 1-color imprint in 1 location

Minimum quantity: 250 pens
Price: $0.79 each
Set-up: $40
Special expires: 12/31/10

ECOL Retractable Pen
Made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, this retractable pen is available in black ink with a medium point tip.
Trim colors: black, blue or green
Pricing includes 1-color imprint in 1 location

Minimum quantity: 300 pens
Price: $0.85 each
Set up: No charge
Special expires: 4/30/10

GREEN WRITING

We’ve noticed that “green” writing extends beyond just your utensils. The “green” values of conservation, economy and reuse actually work pretty nicely when you’re crafting your message, too. Well-written verbiage is an essential element for any good marketing effort, whether it’s a Facebook status, a brochure paragraph or a web page. As you’re testing out your new “green” promotional pens, try out these quick tips for quality “green” writing as well….

1. Replace two words with one. Edit your text rigorously. If you can use one word instead of two or three to describe or explain a concept, do it! Cull out unnecessary expressions. Simple and concise messages are much easier to absorb.

2. Use “active voice.” Harken back to the admonition of your 8th grade English teacher. You’ll use fewer words when you write your sentences in the “active” rather than “passive” voice. For example, rather than saying “Our service was voted the best in the state by Media XYZ,” try using “Media XYZ votes our service the best in the state.”

3. Use “action” words. Your message will be dynamic and more on-point when you use action words. Instead of common verbs, consider more descriptive choices that can highlight your effort and expertise. For example, instead of “Miss Jenn found…,” try “Miss Jenn researched,” or “Miss Jenn brainstormed,” or “Miss Jenn unearthed.” Action words lend more impact to your message.

4. Vary your sentence structure. A string of simple sentences can become boring. Try a mix of simple and compound sentences to add interest and provide natural rhythm for the reader. Employ a parallel structure for making comparisons and presenting concepts in a series.  The repeated structure will lend more power to your statements.

5. Reuse! Yes, it’s ok to reuse your verbiage. In fact, it’s a marketing essential. Maintain a consistent message by repeating it in various venues. Be sure to use the same tone and perspective with all communications. In addition, use the time-honored journalistic approach of offering a “who-what-where-when-why” introduction along with a summary paragraph for any lengthy text.

Eco-friendly products for the pool construction industry

When Frank Wall called Dux D’Lux to inquire about our marketing services, the first question he asked me was, “Are you the girl who likes frogs?” The Queen had included a blurb about me in our company newsletter explaining my love of watercolor painting and the collection of frogs on my desk. The tidbit sparked Frank’s interest because he was looking to create a point-of-purchase display for one of his product innovations featuring a watercolor frog. That was over 10 years ago, and Dux D’Lux has been helping Frank market his inventive products ever since!

In 2008, Frank began a new company called Frank Wall Enterprises for which we were excited to design a great website! The company’s mission is to provide innovative products to the pool construction industry based on Frank’s 30+ years of experience as a successful pool builder. He seeks out products that will make the construction process easier for the builder and offer the best innovative options for their pool customers. He’s recently highlighted some exciting products that are environmentally friendly!

Frank’s flagship product is the AquaForms forming system. This re-usable aluminum modular system allows builders to create building forms for their pools much more quickly, saving the additional time and resources required in hand-building pool forms for each construction project. Dux D’Lux was able to consult with Frank on the naming of the product as well as design the logo.

Additionally, Frank Wall Enterprises also offers FLEXI-Forms, a Flexible concrete form board to form and pour concrete pool decks, sidewalks, patios, driveways and any concrete surface with curves and tight radiuses. The plastic FlexiFORM board is manufactured with 100% recycled HDPE plastics — the kind found in milk bottles! In fact, one roll of FlexiFORM is made from 129 plastic milk jugs! Unlike other types of plastic, HDPE is the most environmentally stable — giving off no harmful fumes into the environment. The Healthy Building Network recommends HDPE resin-based products as the most environmentally friendly plastic building materials.

Way to go, Frank! Thanks for providing your industry with environmentally sensitive product solutions. Oh, and thanks for asking us about our frogs!